Mr. Woodhouse is Emma's elderly, anxious, affectionate father who is afraid of change and anything new. He does not like to step out of Hartfield Manor in the slightest; he has numerous obsessions and hypochondrias regarding human health and safety. He does not want anyone around him to marry because marriage is a very sad and disastrous event that tears people away from the order he is accustomed to. He shows great affection for family friends (especially Mr. Knightley and Mrs. Weston), but he wants everyone to eat and live according to his digestive system rules. Because Emma loves him so much and never wants to upset him, she even contemplates never marrying. However, at the end of the story, thanks to the burglary incidents in the vicinity making him afraid, he gladly welcomes Mr. Knightley moving to Hartfield; for him, this means adding a protective force without anyone leaving the house.
He is a father who lost his wife many years ago and had his two daughters at a quite late age. His small universe consists of the Hartfield manor and the fervent health conversations he has with the town doctor.
An elderly man with a polite demeanor who looks much older than his age due to his sedentary life and obsessions, moving slowly.
Mrs. Weston
Her former loyal friend, whose company was never as good after she married and left.
Mr. Knightley
The friend she found most sensible until the idea of marriage, yet was glad he remained the guardian of his estate.
Emma Woodhouse
The girl whose protection she is constantly under.
Isabella Knightley
The daughter (poor Isabella) whose living far away and health she constantly frets over.